Plural Demonstrative Pronouns

The demonstrative pronouns هذا and هذه have a lovely broken plural. The plural for both of these words is هؤلاء. This plural is only used when referring to people and it is used for both genders. For example:

1. These students (masc.) are from Beirut.

١. هؤلاءِ الطلاب من بيروت.

2. These students (fem.) are from Beirut

٢. هؤلاءِ الطالبات من بيروت.

Please note that the ه, the first letter of هؤلاءِ has a daggar alif.

ذلك and تلك also have a common plural. It is أُولئِكَ The ل in this word also has a daggar alif. It too is only used to refer to people and is used for both genders.(See Note 1 below)

1. Those students (masc.) are from Beirut.

١. أُولئِكَ الطلاب من بيروت.

2. Those students (fem.) are from Beirut.

٢. أُولئِكَ الطالبات من بيروت.

Note 1 – The software used for this version of the book does not include the daggar alif, so I cannot write it in over the ل. The word أُولئِكَ does have another spelling, however. That spelling is: أُولائِكَ. Here the alif is actually written in. You may sometimes come across this spelling of the word.